Rubber sandal.



A. 0. BOURN.

RUBBER SANDAL. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1906.

901,064. Patented 001;. 13,1908.

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AUGUSTUS O. BOURN, PROVIDENCE, 'RHODE ISLAND.

RUBBER SANDAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application filed January 20, 1906. Serial No. 297,029r

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS O. BOURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Sandals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates torubber sandals and consists of means for strengthening the same and affordinga'secure adhesion to the boot, as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved sandal; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

The sandal has the sole A, heel D, low vamp B and high quarter C, the latter extending upward above the swell of the heel portion a, of the quarter and forward at the upper part so as to secure a firm grip above the heel of the shoe, the side edges 00 of the quarter inclining at a sharp angle downward and forward to the edges of the vamp.

The vamp .is strengthened and prevented from tearing or stretching by means of an embedded inelastic but flexible strip 6, preferably a cord of linen or cotton, which extends around the toe and sides of the vamp, parallel to the sole except at the ends where it is carried at each side at an angle to the 1 sole and at the lower part of the latter and vanishes into the shank, so that on pushingv the shoe forward in the sandal, the sole of the shoe can pass below the inner rib formed by the strip 2) and the draft upon the strip 2) will be in a longitudinal direction and tend to cause the bottom of the sandal to hug the sole of the shoe beneath the instep more closely. While the cord thus strengthens the vamp, it does not interfere with the flection of the latter in any way, being inelastic; and as it is of fibrous material, it adheres to and strengthens the rubber instead of weakening the latter, as in the case of metal strips.

The strip 5 in no way interferes with the lateral stretching or flection of the sole and is preferably untwisted at the ends to get a better hold on and be securely anchored in the material.

Owing to the low sides and tips of sandals, they are proportionally liable to become detached from the shoe, and to prevent this, the strip 6 projects inward inside the Vamp so as-to form a rib which will engage the upper edge of the shoe sole, and I also extend the counter above the heel forward as shown. To further secure a close adherence of the sandal to the shoe, the counter, extended forward as described, is provided with an elastic edge rib 0, preferably a strip of rubber, whichis sufficiently strong to act as a spring which extends from the heel portion along or near the edge and down each Side of the vamp to or near the tread of the sole. This will yield as the sandal is applied, but will cause the edge of the quarter to closely hug the quarter of the shoe and hold the fore part of the sandal onto the shoe.

By extending forward the portion above the swell of the heel and inclining it inwards much more than is customary with lasts for rubber shoes, I shorten the distance from the tread of the sole to the back of the heel. More strain is brought on the spring c when the sandal is worn, which thus pulls the forward sole portions backward.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination in a rubber sandal, of a sole, a low vamp, a high elastic quarter extended forward above the heel and with inclined edges 00, and a thickened rib at said edges forming an elastic edge spring extending downward at the lower ends toward the sole across the vamp, substantially as described.

52. The combination in a rubber sandal, of a sole, a low vamp with an internal rib at the sides and tip above the sole, a high elastic quarter extending forward above the heel and with inclined edges so, and a thickened rib at said edges and extending downward across the vamp toward the sole.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS O. BOURN.

Witnesses I M. L. LAKE, HAROLD H. BEDELL. 

